Electrochemical generator.



Patented lune I7, |902.

H.l s. AMwAKE. ELECTRCHEMICAL GENERATOR.

llllllllllllll.

(Application led Mar. 13, 1902.)

{No Model.)

Stboznma UNITED STATE-s [PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY S. AMWAKE, OF OAMDEN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES H, GRAHAM AND GEORGE D. BOUTON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

- E-LECTROCH E NllcAL GENE RATO R.

`SPECIFICATION 4fogr1n1-1g part of Letters Patent No. 702,760, dated June 17,1902.

Application led March 13. 1902. Serial No. 98.078. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t mag/concern,.-

Be it known that I', HARRYS. AMWAKE,'a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Camden, State of New Jersey, have invented new'and useful Improvements in Electrochemical Generators, of which the following is a specification.

My inventionv relates to electrochemical generators, the object being to place between 1o the positive and negative electrodesin the case a current-conducting baiilewhich will retard the electrolyte attacking the electrode or electrodes most to be acted'upon. I'mean placing a` baffle or screen, either metallic,somi

l5 metallic, or non-metallic,which shall be made of current-conducting substance' or compound,lor it may be made of a compound of non-conducting andV conducting substances and either of'porousor dense structure, and

zo when in position will entirely surround one or more of the electrodes (either positive or negative) of the same sign. The battle or baffle-partition may be made of carbon or any other material of low resistance. I shall z5 use the baffle, screen, or modifier in position, so that the fluid or electrolyte shall be con# trolled in some Way to prevent the chemicalreducing action from exceeding the rate at which the current is given from the generator. The baffle, screen, ormodiier may be constructed either as a good conductor or a bad one; but as I shall use it in my generator it will always be a better conductor of the electric current than the electrolyte.

3 5 In this generator, although the baliie is used to prevent a too-rapid circulation of electrolyte about the electrodes most to be acted upon, I shall on occasions when greater current-dow is desired make use of it to per- 4o forni the function` of a part of oneelectrode of the generator by one of the many electro.

5o Preferably I would construct the bafie,

screen, or modifier with rough faces. This will increase the constancy of electromotive force of each generator unit. y

Broadly considered, my invention consists of a baille, screen, or modifier (which is a good current-conductor)V interposed in the electrolyte between the positive and negative electrodes, by means of which I am enabled to placethe baiile,screen, or modifier faces and ,the electrode faces, both positive and negative, in the closest possible proximity consistent with the proper circulation of the electrolyte requiredbythe How of electric current discharged from the generator.

Figure 1 represents the top or plan view of 65 an electrochemical generator embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents the longitudinal vertical section thereof. Fig. i3 represents the transverse Vertical section thereof.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre- 7o sponding parts in the figures. y

Referring to the drawings, A designatesa case .containing a metallic plate B and shells C D of conducting substances. vThe shell C constitutesa baille, screen, orl modifier and is located around the plate B, and together4 the'shell C and plate B are both located within the shell D, and all are located Within the case A.` The plate B constitutes a positive electrode. The shell Dconstitutes 'a nega- 8o` tive electrode. The shell Gin normal discharge is disconnected and insulated from either electrode or both electrodes.

A suitable fluid or electrolyte is placed in the case, audit will be seen that owing to the presenceyof the battle C the electrolyte in circulation'will-not pass through it with the current-flow, but will seek devious ways of circulation in order to act only as fast as the ,current given from the generator demands. Thus the life of the electrolyte is increasedk and the severity of local action on the metallic platesis decreased. At the same time the electromotive force remains constant.

Where demands for extraordinary discharge of current for short periods oftime oc. cur, the baffle O may by different electromechanical devices be putin parallel with either of the electrodes of the generator. By theseconstructions in the using of an electrolyte Ioo composed of sulfuric acid and bichrolnate of sodium the consumption ofthe metallic plate, it of zinc, is very small per horse-power of energy delivered.

As the baille, constructed of a current-conducting substance, is employed between the positive and negative electrodes, I am enabled to place the surface of the baffle at a very small distance from that of the electrodes, thereby reducing the resistance ofthe solution between the electrodes. Owing to the structure of the baii'le being a good current-conductor, but thin ilms of electrolyte are required, and the current reaches the negative electrode with a less loss of electromotive force than in passing through an equal thickness of electrolyte should there be no battle in position. Without the ba-ftle in such a construction great heat at the electrode attacked would be generated and the currentdischarge from the generator would be much less than obtained by the construction described. In other words, the internal resistance would be so great that most of the full energy oi' the generator would be consumed in overcoming the resistance of the electrolyte.

The baille, screen, or modifier is preferably made of rectangular form, and the ends are farther away from the zinc or positive electrode than the sides of the baille. The action at the ends or edges of the zinc therefore produces asmaller heating eiect than at the sides,because the current-flow per unit of area is less. This causes a difference in the heatingr effect in the uid between the positive electrode and the baiiie, where the largest areas or surfaces are near to each other, and the lnirl that is between the zinc and baffle, where the smallest areas or surfaces are most distant. The circulation ot' the electrolyte then depends upon the difference between the temperatures. The hi ghertemperature raises the fluid, the lower temperature allowing the fl uid to fall again. The flow or circulation carries the new electrolyte into contact with the electrode most to be acted on, and so maintains the dill'erence of temperatures and provides the new electrolyte. Thus both actions help to maintain a high electromotive force, with a consequent large current-How.

Various changes may be made in the details 0f construction without departing from the general spirit of my invention, and I do not, therefore, desire to be limited in each case to the same.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. An electrochemical generator consisting of a single fluid-cell, provided with apositive electrode and a negative iiXed electrode, an electrolyte, and a current-conducting bailepartition in said electrolyte,between said electrodes and normally insulated therefrom.

2. An electrochemical generator, consisting ot a positive electrode, a negative iixed electrode, an electrolyte, an electric-current-con ducting baffle-partition normally insulated from said electrodes and means for making said baffle-partition part of either of said electrodes to act therewith.

3. `An electrochemical generator consisting of a single fluid-cell having positive and negative electrodes and a current-conveyor of high conducting or current-carrying capacity interposed as a modifier, screen or baffle between the positive and negative electrodes and adapted to control the rate of change of position of the electrolyte attacking the electrodes most to be acted upon without interfering with the current-flow between the electrodes in the case.

4. An electrochemical generator consisting of a single fluid-cell provided with a positive electrode and a negative fixed electrode, an electrolyte and a current-conducting baillepartitiou in said electrolyte between said electrodes and'normally insulated therefrom, providing means for causing a higher temperature of the electrolyte between the largest areas of the baffle-partition and the positive electrode and lower temperature between the smallest areas opposed.

HARRY S. AMWAKE.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. WIEDERSHEIM, XVArrsoN E. RULoN. 

